Twas the Night Before Christmas

Wow, three posts in one day, I'm CRRRAAAZZZYYYY!! Today was the "Twas the Night Before Christmas" pajama party at story hour at the library. The kids sang some songs and listened to the story. Then they got to make jingle bell bracelets and reindeer food. Scotty didn't understand that we weren't going to get to see reindeer right then and feed them the food. I tried to explain that we would put it out on Christmas Eve but he's just too little to understand. They got to eat cookies and drink hot chocolate and then...... Santa came! Scotty got really excited when he saw him. The line to see Santa was a little long so we sat to wait. Scotty saw that Santa was giving kids candy and he wanted to just run up there and steal one. We finally got our turn. Scotty wasn't so sure about sitting on Santa's lap but he definately wanted the candy that Santa would give him.
Here he is so proud to have endured the wait to get the candy cane.
And then wanting to eat the candy cane with the wrapper still on.
He had a lot of fun. He loves to go places where there are other kids. This place had a few too many kids and too much stench for my taste but I'm so glad he had a fun time!

Snow Day

Last week when it snowed, Derrick got a day off of work. We went outside to shovel the car out and do a little playing. Scotty was so cute. He kept laying in the snow and yelling, "Tuck (stuck), Tuck!!" We would then go to help him up. As soon as we would help him up he'd start giggling and then would go to another spot, lay down and yell, "Tuck, Tuck!!!"
Derrick would whisper in Scotty's ear and they would yell, "One...Two....Three" and then they would both run towards me and attack me with snowballs. Scotty thought this was the funnest thing ever. They did it over and over and over. Scotty got upset and cried a lot when I told him he had to go inside because he was getting too cold. Poor little guy would have stayed out there forever if I wasn't such a mean momma! I tried to take a cute picture of Scotty on his horse that his Grandma gave him for his birthday. I thought it would be cute in front of the Christmas tree. None of them turned out very good but oh, well. This was the best one. I think I had the wrong flash setting on or something. I am camera challenged!

Banned!!

I am officially banning myself from the Twilight movie. I know that I will come out very disappointed so why even watch. I can't believe that they cast this guy Robert Pattison as our beautiful amazing Edward. What the crap?!!!!! I know that they say, "Nobody will match what you think Edward should look like" or "Edward's a vampire, we could never find anyone who would match all characteristics" or some dumb trash like that but could they have TRIED!!!! So, they go for someone that wouldn't even match a human beauty let alone a vampire? So sorry Summit Entertainment, you won't be getting my money on this effort. Try harder next time!!!!

Winter Wonderland or Cold Misery?

So, this is what it looks like here in Pinetop right now. So beautiful and white! I love to sit and watch as the snow blankets everything. I can sit next to a warm fire and look out at the gorgeous snowy scenery. I like to occassionaly go out in the snow to "play" for awhile also. I didn't get a picture while Scotty was out in the snow trying to shovel. It was so cute. But............

then you have to live in it, drive in it, go to work or the store in it.......which means, shoveling it. Then at that point, I HATE the snow! The slushy cold mess that it leaves everywhere, the constant chill in your bones, and you can never have your hair cute for long before it falls flat! Everytime you go out in it and then come back in, you have to change your wet freezing clothes which leads to more laundry. I wonder if I will ever get over these love/hate feelings for the snow.

Has it been that long?

Wow! Today is our 7th Anniversary. I can't believe that it has been that long. So many things have happened since then. And a lot of things that I WISH would have happened by now in our lives, haven't happened. We have endured a lot of trials, stress, and even heartache during the past 7 years but we have also had so many fun, happy, memorable times. We have been blessed in many ways.........a beautiful little boy, wonderful family who love and support us, good health, Derrick's education, and so many other ways. In reflection, I want to write a few things about how we met and came to be husband and wife. Derrick and I were both on the activities committee in our singles ward. We would make small talk now and then but I didn't know him well. He was dating a couple of other girls around that time and I was "flirting" with many other guys, definitely not ready to settle down. Then 7 months later I was dragged to a horrid church dance (hated those things.) Derrick was there and asked for my phone number. I happened to be leaving the dance around the same time he and his brother were. They asked where I was going (which was anywhere away from the dance!) and they invited me to go to Denny's with them. We had fun talking and they were so freakin' hilarious. The next week he called and asked me to go on a date (I found out later that I was his second choice for the night, wha wha) and we went to Macaroni Grill and then to a movie. We began talking on the phone a lot and hanging out a lot. Three months later we were engaged and 2 months later we were married on a beautiful December day in the Mesa Temple. Here is a pic of us the night before we were married. It was the first time I was meeting grandparents!!! We were such a happy young couple!! Happy Anniversary Derrick! Thank you for 7 amazing years and many more to come!!!

Pics by Suzi

Over Thanksgiving Suzi took some pictures of us. It was windy and cold and Derrick was a grouch. But she got some really cute ones of Scotty even though he wasn't so great at looking at the camera for long. He was really good about saying "Cheese" though. Here are some of my faves. Scotty-D is as cute as can be!!!!!
Scotty really likes choo-choo trains right now. I love this pic of him in front of an old train car.
Scotty holding hands with mom and dad.
Cute pic of Scotty with cousins Sydney and Susannah! He had so much fun with these girls over Thanksgiving. He loved playing with them and following them around. They are such nice girls. They played with him so much even though they probably would have rather been playing older girl things. Thanks Sydney and Susannah!! And thanks to Suzi, my fun sister and friend for putting up with us and the wind while trying to get some good pics. After I decide which family pic to use for Christmas cards, I'll post some of those on here so everyone can see what she really had to put up with! I don't know how I'm going to choose. The 2-3 pics that Derrick doesn't look pissed in or doesn't have his eyes closed in, I don't look good in. So, I'll probably be sending a pic out with a pissed off Derrick...........hey, it's not MY fault he wouldn't smile!!!!!

Master Derrick, I'm so proud!!!

He did it!!!!! Today Derrick passed the last exam to earn his Masters degree. He has been working so hard and studying so diligently. I am so proud of him! He will soon have the diploma in hand. He earned his Masters of History from Sam Houston State University. He has been juggling work, school, and being a husband and father. I know it has been stressful for him and he'll need awhile to catch up on all of the sleep that he's missed. When he called me after they told him he passed, he told me that I now have to call him "Master." I'm not thinking that that one is going to stick but I am so happy for him! A step closer to his dream job in broadcasting and now his Masters degree. Congratulations Derrick!!!!